Dealing 2, Daphne's Story
by soda-me
Summary: Approx. 16 years after Dealing 1, Sandy's baby finds an unsent letter and goes to find the man she believes to be her father. New update...
1. The Letter

Daphne's POV

For sixteen years, I couldn't figure out why my mother called me Daffy. It wasn't until I found some letters that never got sent that I understood.

_Dear Sodapop, _

Okay. Sodapop? Who in the world was _Sodapop_?! And what kind of name was that anyway? I mean, really. Who names their kid after a type of drink?

_I'm sorry for what happened in Tulsa. I shouldn't have just shown up like I did, with the baby and everything. I just needed to come home for a visit. You have no idea how lonely things can be in Miami when you're a single mother living with your grandmother. Of course, you'll never have a problem like that. And I'm sorry for what happened before too. With my just leaving and returning your letters, I hope I didn't hurt you too badly. I've taken up your habit of calling the baby Daffy. I hope she won't mind when she gets older. You were always proud of your original name, so I can only count on her being the same way. Speaking of Daffy, she must be awake from her nap by now. Once again, I'm sorry, Soda. Love, Sandy_

Sandy. My mother, unless there was some other Sandy I knew with a baby with my name—Daphne—who was a single mother around here. Yeah, right. Of course it was my mother. It was who Sodapop was that baffled me. I checked the envelope and saw that it was addressed to Sodapop Curtis of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I knew my grandparents lived in Tulsa, but that was all my mother ever said about that place. And we'd never even gone down there to visit. The few times I'd seen my mother's parents, they'd come to Miami. And my great-grandmother had died three years ago. We still lived in her house, though. For my whole life, it had just been my mother and I. No father in the picture, and my mom had never had a boyfriend she brought home. She put me first instead of finding a husband. When I was younger, I used to imagine her life before I was born—which was when she was my age, sixteen. In my mind's eye, I created a secret lover, whom my grandparents didn't approve of, but Mom still loved him and went behind their backs to see. He was incredibly handsome—like a movie star—and he had the most amazing smile as his face lit up when she came to see him. Mom was beautiful, with her bright blue eyes and blonde curls, completely in love with him. He was from the wrong side of the tracks, but she refused to stop going out with him. In my mind, it was a romantic love story. But that was just a fantasy from before I came along and stopped everything. And after that my fairy tale would end. I never thought of what happened to Mom's Romeo. Until the day I found that letter.

Now I knew his name was Sodapop, but that was about it. And I knew that I had been to Tulsa, Oklahoma at least once in my life, but I was too young to remember. What else had she never told me? That my father still lived in Tulsa, maybe? But why wouldn't she tell me something like that? Because she was worried I would try to find him someday? Well, she was right.

I might've been only sixteen, but I definitely had a right to know my own father. And there really was nothing (short of grounding me) that she could do to stop me. She was at work, and by the time she came home I'd be out of there. Never mind that I had absolutely no idea how to find my dad once I got to Tulsa. Babysitting was a drag, but it was good for one thing: saving up money. And cash was exactly what I was going to need for this trip.

I realized as I was grabbing my stash of babysitting savings and packing a small suitcase that I was making an awfully sudden choice in leaving Florida to find a guy Mom had never even told me anything about. The only thing she'd told me that had even come close was when I was twelve and I asked her about my dad. She didn't really want to talk about it, so she just sad, really quietly and sad, "I made the wrong choice twelve and a half years ago, Daf." I'd always just assumed the wrong choice was sleeping with him before they were married. And all the other times I tried to ask about it, she would change the subject quickly. It was time for me to find out for myself if Mom wouldn't tell me.

Still, I love my mother, and leaving without so much as a word of warning would be a stupid way to repay her for everything she'd given me over the years. So I penned a note:

_Dear Mom, _

_Sorry that I don't get to tell you this myself, but you should have told me about my dad a long time ago. I found that letter you wrote to him when I was a baby. Is his name really Sodapop? Sorry, but that's kind of a weird name. Anyway, I promise I'll call you soon, once I've talked to my father. I'll be careful. Love, Daphne_

And then I grabbed my purse and suitcase and was on my way to the airport. To find my father.

**Note: Please tell me what you honestly think. Is she Mary-Sue-ish? Should I keep going or should I just stop here? Oh…and if I continue, will Daphne realize that Soda isn't her father before it's too late???**


	2. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Part Two

Sandy's POV

_Dear Mom, _

_Sorry that I don't get to tell you this myself, but you should have told me about my dad a long time ago. I found that letter you wrote to him when I was a baby. Is his name really Sodapop? Sorry, but that's kind of a weird name. Anyway, I promise I'll call you soon, once I've talked to my father. I'll be careful. Love, Daphne_

For the second time in my life, everything was crashing to pieces around me. The first time, of course, was when I found out I was pregnant. I had to move to a different state, alone with a baby coming, leave my friends, my family and everything I knew behind. Not to mention I had to admit to Sodapop that I'd cheated on him. The worst time of my life. Until now.

Now my daughter, the person I loved most in the world, was going to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the home I'd left behind, to find her father. Only she didn't realize that Sodapop Curtis was not her father. If only I hadn't kept that silly letter for her to find! If only I'd told Daffy about her father years ago like I should have. If only none of this had happened in the first place.

And the worst part was, by the time I found the note after work, she was well on her way to disaster.

**Daphne's POV**

_What will my father be like? _I wondered while I was on the plane. _Will he be movie-star handsome like I always imagined, or plain and simple? Why did he and Mom never get married? Will he be happy to know me or will he want nothing to do with me? _My stomach was a mass of thick, twisted knots.

The plane landed, and I didn't know what to do next. How was I even supposed to find my father in a place this size? For all I knew everyone in Oklahoma could have a thing for weird names, and there could be dozens of Sodapops wandering around. Unlikely, I know, but I wasn't thinking clearly.

_Daphne S. Anderson, you've got to stop worrying and focus! _

Focus? Easier said than done. I was practically out of money, and so all I could do was walk down the streets of Tulsa aimlessly. Not real smart for a sixteen-year-old girl, alone, but like I said, I wasn't thinking clearly. I was planning on going to my grandparents' house to stay while I was in town, but first I wanted to at least get an address for my dad. At long last, I came to a high school. Will Rogers High. I knew that this was where my mother had gone to school, so I figured if I would find anything about Sodapop Curtis, it would be here. After all, just because she'd had to leave school didn't mean he didn't finish it. The door was surprisingly open, even on a Saturday afternoon. I guess there were meetings going on or something. And I walked down the hallways, reading all the awards on the walls, trying to find any mention of Soda Curtis, my father. But no such luck. However, I did find several plaques with other Curtis' names on them ("Boy of the Year, 1962: Darrell Curtis, Jr.", "Athletic Scholarship, 1962: Darrell Curtis, Jr.", "Academic Scholarship, 1967: Ponyboy Curtis") and I figured they must've been related to me somehow. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I had to bite back a scream as I spun around.

It was a man, and he chuckled. "Looking for someone?" he asked.

"Um, sort of," I said. "Sodapop Curtis."

His eyebrows shot up. "Sodapop? What are you looking for him here for?"

"Well, um, my mom knew him when they were in school," I said lamely. It wasn't exactly a lie, she certainly did know him in high school. "Do you know where I could find him? And is Sodapop a nickname or something?"

At this, the man laughed, really laughed. "No, it's his real name. And he's probably at work, like most people in Tulsa on a Saturday afternoon. But if you really need to talk to him, you could try the park on East Sixth Street around four-thirty. He takes his daughter there every weekend."

My heart stopped beating. "H-his daughter?" I managed to choke the words.

"Sure, little Amy. The light of Soda's life nowadays," the man rolled his eyes. "He's crazy about her. The most doting dad you'll ever see."

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Thanks for your help. You know him well?"

The man grinned. "Yeah. Me and Soda have been through a lot together." He walked away, and I noticed he had a slight limp. I raced back through the halls and out the door. It was already ten after four. If I was going to get to the park to meet him, I was going to have to hurry. I hated running, but there was one thing worth running in this heat for. The chance to meet my father.

**Okay. So she's in Tulsa, and going to meet Soda. But what will he say to her? And did you all figure out who "the man" was? Please review! **


	3. What Happened in the Park

**Part 3**

**Daphne's POV**

Running through the streets of Tulsa was much different than running through Miami. There wasn't much traffic and there were more kids playing around in vacant lots and stuff. As my feet pounded on the sidewalk, all I could think was, _I'm going to meet my dad. After all these years, I'm finally going to talk to my dad! _And that was enough to make me speed up.

I sat down hard on a park bench and waited for him to arrive. Somehow I had the feeling I would know who he was when he got there. Oh, that and the fact that there were no other fathers with little girls in the park. That might've had something to do with it too. So when I heard a quiet, "Here we are, Princess," and saw a man around my mom's age carefully wheeling a stroller over the curb onto the grass, I knew it was him. Sodapop Curtis. My father. And suddenly all I felt like doing was being sick. I mean, what was I doing there anyway? All this would do was interrupt his and his family's lives, and he would be saddled with another daughter he obviously never had an interest in raising. But I'd come all this way. I wasn't about to give up now.

So I got up and walked closer. I examined my dad as I approached him. He had brown hair, with lighter parts near his roots. It was summer, so I guess the sun bleached it. He looked like the type who would be outside a lot. And his eyes were brown, but instead of looking tired and sometimes defeated like my mom's did—and they were around the same age—his were lively and full of spark. Wild, almost dancing eyes. But they got gentler when he looked at his daughter, Amy. When he smiled at her, even I smiled and it wasn't even directed at me. And when he looked at me, I almost turned and ran.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked politely, turning the smile on me now. I nodded, my mouth turned dry as sawdust in an instant.

"Um." Great. Very intelligent, Daphne. And then I couldn't help it. Like ripping a bandaid off to get through the pain quickly, I blurted out, "I think you're my father!" And all I got was sudden, ear-splitting silence.

**Sodapop's POV**

Work. What a waste of a glorious, beautiful Saturday afternoon. There were so many better things I could've been doing—my wife would say fixing up something around the house, or cleaning the yard. I would say playing with my daughter or having my friends over for a talk about the "old days." But having been a working man since I was sixteen, I was used to being forced to give up the hot, sunny, perfect-weather-for-a-picnic days to work to support my family. Only the family members I was supporting were different now.

I got married four years ago. My wife's name was Tracy Pollack, now it's Tracy Curtis. I met her when she was checking into the hotel I used to work at (now I own it. Still work at the front desk sometimes, though. I like to talk to the people, find out what their stories are.). And over the week she stayed there (incidentally, she was in town for a wedding), I decided I liked her. A lot. And that was something that hadn't happened often since my Sandy experiences. That was six years ago. Two years of dating later, we got married. Ponyboy was my best man. But it wasn't until about a year ago (eleven months, as a matter of fact) that our daughter Amanda Jean was born. We named her after my mother. And she is the light of my life. I swear, being a dad is the best thing that ever happened to me. Ask any of us in the gang who have kids, and they'll tell you the same. At least I think they would. I'm a little doubtful about Two-Bit…

Darry isn't married. He probably never will be. He's just so independent, ever since Mom and Dad died. It's a shame though, having the experience of raising Pony and me for while, he would've made a great father. He was a great father to Pony and me too. Brother and father. But he didn't roof houses anymore either, he was a coach at the high school, whipping those guys into shape and "teaching those so-called-jocks what real football is." His words, not mine. And I think he really likes doing it, too. He still lives in the old house, although it's been considerably fixed up since I moved out ten years ago.

Steve. Still my best buddy, but not the same guy he was. He got into a lot of trouble with drugs for a while. Heroin addict, actually. But eventually he climbed up out of that hole (more on that later) and ironically, he's now a drug counsellor working down at the high school with Darry. I guess when they hired him they figured, he's been there, done that, who better to relate to the students? Also, he has a bit of a limp from getting shot in the leg one time when he was partying at Buck Merrill's place. I don't think he's been there since. And Steve is a father too—he has an eleven-year-old son from his heroin years. No mom in the picture, though. Just the two of them. Steve named him Michael—he never admitted it to anyone, but I think he named him after Ponyboy, who helped him through some tough times.

Two-Bit wised up one day—might've had something to do with his stubborn but well-meaning girlfriend, now wife—and finally graduated from that Will Rogers High School. He's the manager of several chain restaurants in the area, and his employees love him—he never gets them in trouble for anything. Good ol' Two-Bit got married a year before Tracy and I, to a (yes, blonde) woman named Susannah—Suze. She's a real nice person, but like I said, determined to whip her husband into shape. Good cook, though. And for all his complaining and joking, Two-Bit wouldn't trade married life for being a bachelor for anything you paid him. Especially when Suze is expecting their first kid in February.

And Ponyboy? He went to college like we all knew he would, even got the academic scholarship Darry always hoped he would. Published a few books, but surprisingly got into social work. I guess he figured he could help kids out from "our side of the tracks" since he knew exactly what it was like to be in their position. Also, I think he wanted to help all the Johnny Cades and Dallas Winstons out there. And he was doing just that. He's married too—to a soft-spoken, gentle and cheerful person named Eva. They live just down the street from Tracy and I, so Amy can play with their twins, Hannah and Cade. They're just a few months younger than she is, about five months old now. Cade has big brown eyes, just like his namesake. And Hannah completely takes after her father, with grey-green eyes and that reddish-brown hair.

Like I said, Ponyboy really helped Steve with the whole drug problem while I was away in Vietnam. I was so proud to hear about it when I came home. Now they get along a lot better than they ever did before. So I guess my absence was in a way a good thing.

It was interesting to see how far we'd all come, I mused as I pushed Amy along in the stroller later that afternoon, on the way to the park. She was a happy-go-lucky baby, not fussy, thank goodness. Even at thirty-three, I still needed plenty of sleep. Never was a morning person and never will be. Her blonde curls were tucked beneath a hat to shade her from the hot sun. She was giggling at whoever passed us on the sidewalk. And when we got to the park, I wheeled her over towards the fountain. She liked to watch it and get her little fingers wet when I took her out of the stroller.

But then this teenage girl walked over to. I had to do a double-take when I saw her, she looked so familiar. Blonde hair, brown eyes. Not smiling, but looking at me intently. Her eyes looked sad, and almost…afraid.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked finally, since she was staring at me with that strange look on her face for so long.

She nodded, opened her mouth to say something and shut it again. Then, in a rush, she broke the awkward silence. And the words I heard her say were,

"I think you're my father!"

**What's going to happen to Daphne? How will Soda react to her outburst? And is Sandy going to have to come to Tulsa herself? Well, if you review then I'll post more soon and you'll all find out! Simple, right? So go review! (Please.)**


	4. Explaining Some Things

**Part 4**

**Soda's POV**

"I think you're my father!" Excuse me, what did you say? As far as I knew, I only had one daughter, and she was only eleven months old, _not _a teenager. Kids grow up fast, but not that fast. I automatically glanced at Amy upon hearing the word daughter. I knew my face probably looked as shocked as I felt, but I couldn't help it. And like someone turning on the light in a dark room, I knew in an instant why the girl had seemed to familiar to me. Because she was Sandy's daughter, Daphne. The baby I'd christened Daffy. Here in Tulsa.

"What are you talking about?" I finally exclaimed. Oh, yes. Very adult of you, Sodapop. The girl makes what was probably the scariest confession of her life to you, and right away you lapse back to the time when you were a teenager. When all of this first started, and led right up to this mess. "I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm your father. It's impossible, Daffy."

"You know my name?" she sounded faintly surprised, but mostly sad. I could tell she'd hoped I'd have a better reaction. "If you aren't my dad then why did I find letters to you from my mom?"

This was news to me. I didn't know anything about letters from Sandy. I'd sure never received any after I told her not to call me when she went back to Florida. That was the last I ever had anything to do with her. "I don't know about any letters, but really, I'm not your dad. I'm sorry she never told you that herself. Sandy and I…well, we have a history, that's for sure."

Daphne looked eager to hear more. "What kind of history? Do you know who my dad is?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, no. I never met the guy," I said somewhat darkly, since, after all, he was shacking up with _my _girl behind my back. But that was a long time ago, I reminded myself. "But Sandy was my girlfriend about seventeen years ago."

"Then how do you know for sure you aren't my dad?" Daphne asked hopefully.

I sighed, and lifted Amy carefully out of the stroller, holding her on one hip. "I just know, Daf. You have to trust me on that one. But I want you to know that…even when I found out she was pregnant, I still loved Sandy, and I was going to marry her. But she didn't want things that way between us. So she left and I stayed here in Tulsa."

Now she just looked a bit annoyed. "Why didn't you follow her?" she demanded. _It was more complicated than that! _I wanted to scream. _My baby brother was missing and then two of my friends died! Happy now? _

But instead I just answered, adjusting the strap beneath Amy's chin, "There were some other things going on at the time. Family stuff."

Daffy nodded, disappointed. "Well, sorry to bother you," she mumbled, for the first time flushing in embarrassment. "I just—" and now I saw a few tears pool in her eyes before she hastily rubbed them away, "I just really wanted to find my dad. You know, to finally know who I am."

"Hey," I touched her cheek where a single tear had slid down and lay there, glistening in the sun. "Who your father is doesn't define you, Daphne."

"I know, but," Daffy tried to smile and failed miserably. "I just wish my mom had told me about him a long time ago, and none of this would've happened."

"Listen to me, kiddo," I offered her a grin since she couldn't herself. "Sandy loves you a lot. You're the most important thing in the world to her, and you know how I know that? Because she raised you without help from anyone, alone with a baby at sixteen, the age you are now, if my math is right." (Still detest math.) "Her parents kicked her out, she had to move to a different state, and the guy who helped make you didn't give a shit whether or not you got a good home. But she still kept you, because she loved you, and she still loves you. And all this time, not telling you about me, and your father and stuff, that was just Sandy's way of trying to protect you, because she had a huge firsthand look at how nasty the real world is, and she got hurt by it a lot. And like any mom, she just wants the best for you. And someday you're going to find your real father, and I really hope you're happy with what or who you find. But for now, you really need to let your mom know you're okay."

Whew. Long speech, especially considering I hardly knew the girl. Daphne nodded when I was finished, and sighed. "Thanks, uh, Mr. Curtis."

"Hey, call me Soda," I told her, putting Amy back down as she started to fuss. "By the way, you hungry?"

"Starving," she confessed, taking a step forward and smiling at my daughter.

"How bout I take you to a diner me and your mom used to eat at and tell you all about what happened with us?" I invited, "Mickey's has got some real tuff food and music, ya know. What do you say, Daffy?"

Daphne smiled for the first time and looked happier than I'd seen her since she first came over. "I say that sounds great, Soda."

**All right. Was this one as good or not so much? Do ya think Soda would react like that? Thanks for your feedback, and please review:) **


	5. Mickey's

**Part 5**

**Daphne's POV**

Mickey's was different than any restaurant I'd been to before in Miami. It looked like it had been designed with the 50's in mind, and as Soda put it there was some "tuff" music. Elvis, I think. Anyway, he seemed to know the song, since he was humming along a bit as we walked in. And no sooner had we grabbed a booth than some guy ran over to us like a shot.

"Hey, Sodapop! This your new lady?" he joked, cocking one eyebrow way up. Soda laughed and shook his head like he'd heard the joke a million times. "Yeah, don't tell Tracy," he kidded back. I assumed Tracy was his wife.

The guy winked and made a silly face at Amy, who giggled delightedly. Then he turned to me. "I'm Two-Bit. What are ya hungry for?"

I turned suddenly shy. I have a habit of doing that around strangers. Funny how it hadn't kicked in when I burst out at Soda, but then again, I _had _thought he was my father, so maybe I technically considered him already an acquaintance. But whatever. This guy was a stranger (with a weird name, just like Soda. Maybe I _was _right about the people in Tulsa giving their children strange first names!) and apparently, he worked at this diner.

"Um," I said. Um. That was definitely my word of the day. "I'm not sure…"

Soda took over, thank goodness. "I'll have a burger and fries. And how about one of those famous Mickey Mouse Milkshakes of yours?"

Two-Bit grinned. "I believe you mean to say the Donald Duck combo. Coming right up. And you, little lady?"

"Um, I'll just have that milkshake thing, please," I said. Really, I am so bad with decision-making in little things like this.

"A Donald Duck combo and two Mickey Mouse Milkshakes, coming right up!" he announced, and tickled Amy quickly, saying, "And pretty soon she'll be old enough to order our Minnie Meals."

I was quickly noticing that everything in this restaurant had to do with Mickey Mouse. As Two-Bit left, I looked at Soda for an explanation.

He grinned. "That's my old buddy Two-Bit Matthews. He runs this place and a couple other restaurants in town. And he has a bit of a thing for Mickey Mouse, if you couldn't already tell."

"Does everybody in Tulsa have, uh, unique names?" I asked, trying to sound polite. Soda laughed.

"No, just a few of us greasers," he replied, only confusing me more. I guess he saw the look on my face, since he explained, "We used to call ourselves that when we were growing up on the east side of town. We greased our hair and wore jeans and leather jackets. You know the deal. And we hated the Socs—the rich kids from the west side of town, with their mustangs and madras jackets and stuff. And some of us just happened to have highly original names. Like me and Two-Bit and my brother Ponyboy."

"Your brother's name is Ponyboy?" I exclaimed, unable to hide a snicker. Soda just drummed his fingers on the table and smiled. I could tell he liked the name he was given, and wouldn't change it no matter what anyone thought. "Um, I mean, that's a funny name, Soda." Very polite, Daphne.

Two-Bit soon arrived with our food, and to my surprise waved the bill off. "I don't charge for my friends," he explained as I watched curiously.

"Thanks, buddy," Soda said. "You and Suze coming for dinner tonight?"

"You bet," Two-Bit replied cheerfully and left us with our food.

I sipped my milkshake and prepared for the explanation of Soda's relationship with my mother, Sandy, seventeen years ago.

**I know this isn't as good! I'm not exactly satisfied ending it here myself, but I wanted to post this weekend, and I'm gonna be uber-busy tomorrow, so…take this chapter, such as it is. But I promise, if I have time, I will post a much more satisfactory chapter soon! So…review and tell me how much you didn't like this chapter, how much you did like it, or whatever. Please and thank you! **


	6. The Fairy Tale?

**Part 6**

**Soda's POV**

The hardest part was knowing where to start. But, brilliant me, I figured the only place to begin the story was at the beginning. So that's what I did.

"Sandy and I…" I hesitated. This was so long ago, in years and memories. But it was past high time she was told. "She was my girl," I said simply, "From when I was fifteen and a half to almost seventeen. She and I were set up by my buddy Steve and his girlfriend Evie. Sandy and Evie were best friends too, ever since Sandy moved to Tulsa when she was…about six, I think. I met her and I thought she was the prettiest br—uh, I mean, girl I'd ever seen." I chuckled at the memory of the first time I met golden haired, blue eyed Sandy. A rodeo, incidentally…

"_Hey Soda, there's someone Evie wants you to meet," Steve told me. I groaned. I'd met his girlfriend's friends many times, and so far hadn't been too impressed with any of them. But for some reason, Evie had made it her mission to set me up with one of them. This was number seven. _

_I'd been watching the saddle bronc competitions, wishing I could still compete and knowing Dad would never go for it. All because of one blasted ligament. And I was missing Mickey Mouse again. _

_Well, as I sighed and turned to reluctantly take part in Evie's latest "matchmaker" scheme, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. A nice-looking girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled and they seemed to glow. So I grinned back. Well, what else was I supposed to do? _

"_Hi. I'm Sandy," she introduced herself, sticking out her hand._

_I shook it and replied, "Sodapop Curtis." When she heard this, her smile grew wider, but not in a mean or mocking way. She just looked interested. Curious. _

"_Really? How did you ever get a name like that?" Sandy wanted to know. _

"_My dad came up with it. Got a brother named Ponyboy," I said, not sure why I was telling her this. "So, you like to hang around rodeos?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Evie shoot Steve a big wink. No way, I thought, I am not going to fall for her friend. I sure as anything ain't gonna give _Evie _of all people that satisfaction! _

Now, as I stood talking to her sixteen-year-old daughter in Two-Bit's diner, I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face. I'd been wrong and _Evie _of all people had been right. Of course, it hadn't turned out the way either of us had imagined…

"Soda?" Daphne questioned hesitantly. I snapped back to the present.

"Sorry, Daf," I apologized, knowing finally why I was so comfortable around her. Because she was exactly like her mother.

**Daphne's POV**

The story was fascinating. Better even than I'd imagined. And more real.

"Then…" Soda faltered, seeming to have reached the bridge between easy talk about his former "girl" and the hard stuff, whatever had happened to end what had been between them. I wanted to know what happened, but I understood his hesitation. _What was I about to learn about my mother? _

Sodapop collected himself quickly like he had back at the park. "When I was almost seventeen—no, wait. That's not where I should start. When I was just over sixteen, probably about your age, my mom and dad died."

I smothered a gasp. I didn't know about his home life, but for some reason this shocked me. Maybe it was all the things I'd been learning about my own mother recently. "I'm so sorry," was all I could think of to say.

Soda's smile was still there, just sadder this time. "Yeah," he said, and for a moment I got a glimpse of him back when he was a sixteen-year-old, just after his parents died. "So am I. My brother Ponyboy and I were taken care of by my other, older brother Darry. Money was tight, so I dropped out of school to get a job." Soda was impressing me more and more. How could my mom have let a guy like this go so easily?

"Is that why you didn't stay together?" I ventured to ask.

Soda laughed. "Nope. Sandy—your mom—didn't mind. I think she understood that I had to do it for my family. We broke up because of something that happened later. Eight months later…"

And I could only wait on the edge of my seat to hear what happened next in my mother's fairy tale. Only I knew, my heart sinking, that it would never end in happily ever after.

**Oh boy! Did I ever leave you all for a long time!!! So sorry. Got wrapped up in my other story, "Not." And that's the one I will probably update more often, just to warn you all. And I know this chapter is sort of bad, and much as I hate to say it, it was a filler chapter, just for the sake of posting. I'll try not to leave you hanging as long this time, but no promises!**

**Reviews, please! Comments, questions, criticisms…**


	7. Of Diaries and Other Lost Things

**Part 7**

**Daphne's POV**

Soda was just about to tell me why he and my mom hadn't stayed together. He popped a fry into his mouth and took a sip of milkshake. "Well, then—" just as I was about to find out the reasons for my mother leaving him, we heard the tinkle of a bell as the door opened, a gasp and a woman's voice saying, "Daphne!"

I instantly turned at the sound of my name. "Grandma?" I exclaimed, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"More like what are you doing here, young lady? And who is that you're with? You should never talk to strangers, Daphne S. Anderson!" my grandmother, Lydia Anderson, perpetual disciplinarian. Whenever she and Papa visited Miami it reminded me why I was glad to live several states away from them. It also made me feel sorry for my mom.

"Uh, Grandma, this is Sodapop. Sodapop Curtis?" I added, just to make sure she remembered him. Judging by her narrowed eyes and sharp intake of breath, she definitely remembered.

"Nice to see you again, ma'am," Soda said in a friendly tone. But I noticed that he wasn't tapping his foot anymore, the way he had been on and off since we sat down. Obviously she still made him nervous. Hey, she was my _grandmother _and she still made _me_ nervous!

Grandma looked more disapproving than I'd ever seen her—even more than the time I'd "borrowed" one of her necklaces and brought it home from school hopelessly tangled. That lecture had included "that was a present to me from your grandfather so-many years ago" and "it was a family heirloom!". To beat that day, you knew this situation was tense.

"I remember you," Grandma replied shortly. "Now, Daphne, come along with me. Your grandfather is in the car outside. We'll get this all sorted out at home."

I winced as I rose to obey. I shrugged my shoulders helplessly at Soda, and he just winked at me. I mouthed, "Sorry!" and he grinned. "I'll be in contact" he whispered back. Luckily, Grandma didn't hear him.

The bells jingled behind us as we left Mickey's. Papa was in the car, but when he saw me he got out and gave me a big bear hug. Unlike his wife, Papa was one of the nicest people I knew. He was so much more like Mom than her mother was. He was always glad to see me and not barking orders at me all the time like Grandma did on visits.

"How's my little girl?" Papa asked, giving my blonde hair a tug. He'd always been the closest thing I had to a father. But still, not much. They just had never been able to visit that often.

"Fine. I'm in Tulsa to, uh, visit," I said, thinking up the easiest lie. Grandma turned her suspicious gaze on me, but eventually we were on the road to their house. I don't know what I'd been expecting, but their house was small and cozy-looking. The lawn was freshly cut and although the paint was a bit chipped, it looked well-kept for the most part. Once inside, Papa showed me to a spare bedroom.

"Thanks," I said, hopping onto the bed, my small suitcase beside me.

Papa looked around the room with a sad smile on his face. "You know, I haven't been in here in ages. It was your mother's room, Daf."

I glanced at the bare walls and shipshape clean surroundings. "Must've been redecorated," I guessed. He nodded.

"But some of her things are still in the dresser drawers. Or as Sandy liked to call it, the bureau. She thought it sounded more grown-up," Papa said, fondly recalling the days when my mother was his "little girl." I smiled and stifled a yawn. Suddenly I was tired from all the excitement of late.

Papa patted my arm affectionately. "I'll let you rest," he told me, and quietly shut the door behind him as he left.

But I wasn't ready to take a nap yet. I was more curious about the things left in the dresser drawers. And what I found was gold.

Oh, not real gold, of course. I meant really, really interesting stuff. The best of which were some high school yearbooks and even an old notebook. Which of course I opened immediately, right in the middle.

_Dear Diary, _

Jackpot! How cool was this, coming to Tulsa by myself and finding my mother's old diary? As Soda would tell me, it was way tuff!

_Sodapop and I went on a date tonight with Steve and Evie. We went dancing, and Sodapop proved himself to be as graceful on the dance floor as everywhere else he goes. In other words, he was awful. I've never seen such a guy for having two left feet! But it was fun anyway. He just laughed and went right on having a good time, no matter how many times he caught Steve rolling his eyes in our direction. Evie was just giggling like crazy all night. Of course, Mama had a fit when I came in not five minutes late. She always does. Dad wasn't exactly happy either, but at least he didn't spend the next half hour telling me why I shouldn't be allowed to have a boyfriend! _

_Anyway, the kiss Sodapop gave me at the end of the night was worth the lecture. How lucky am I, to have a boyfriend like that? _

_Oh dear. Mama is starting to yell at me again. Till next time, Sandy_

Wow. By all accounts, my mom had definitely had it bad for Sodapop Curtis. So what had gone wrong?

**A/N: Hey, an update! Trust me, I'm as shocked as you. 8)**

**Reviews! **


	8. His Name Is

**Part 8**

**Sodapop's POV**

It was just as intimidating 16 years later as it was the actual day it happened—facing the parents of the girl you'd wanted to marry. And her mother still didn't like me. Talk about holding a grudge. So after Daphne had been whisked away by her grandmother—the one Sandy had used to get annoyed at after being lectured for breaking curfew—there was really nothing for me to do but say goodbye to Two-Bit and take Amy home. We were expecting Ponyboy and his family over for dinner tonight, and I knew Tracy would be wanting me to fire up the grill and start barbequing. So I did just that. Said a goodbye to my buddy and headed home.

"There you are!" Trace exclaimed as I carried Amy into the kitchen. "I was starting to get worried. You're never at the park this long." Tracy wasn't from around Tulsa, so she was still nervous whenever I "disappeared" for a while. Even though I reassured her often that I knew my way around and could take care of myself, she didn't like it. But that's a wife for you. Just one of the reasons I love her.

Amy's face split into a grin when she saw her mother, and I handed her off to Tracy. "What time are they coming?" I asked, referring, of course, to Pony, Eva and the twins.

"Eva said to expect them in about a half hour, so get out there and start cooking already," Tracy ordered, slapping a hamburger flipper into my hand. I gave her a mock salute and went to the backyard. And I glanced at my watch, counting the seconds—one, two, three, until…

"Soda Curtis! You need the meat!" Tracy called, sticking her head out the back door. I laughed and went back inside. I'd known that was coming. Never failed.

_Then _I started grilling the hamburgers. But I'll admit, my mind was exactly on the meat I was flipping. I was going to have to figure out how to tell Tracy about Sandy's daughter being in town. But first, I was going to have to figure out how to tell her about Sandy.

**Sandy's POV**

The sky was getting darker by the minute, I noticed as I anxiously looked out the window for the hundredth time, hoping against hope to see my daughter coming home. Thunder clapped in the distance, but it was coming nearer each time I heard the ominous boom. At first it had just been spitting little droplets of rain, but now it was starting to get harder, the drops coming down faster and faster. I could only pray that my Daffy wasn't stuck out there in the storm somewhere.

I grabbed the phone receiver and punched in my parents' Oklahoma number, not even caring about the long-distance charges. "The number you requested is currently unavailable. Please hang up and try your call again," announced the automated message. I slammed the phone down, muttered a word I hadn't uttered since Daphne was four years old and started parroting everything I said, and promptly "tried my call again". But this time I got nothing. And there was that word again. Why, _why _did there have to be a thunderstorm now, of all times?

I thought back to that letter she'd found…only one of several letters written and never sent. The last time I'd seen him he'd made it quite clear that things were over between us and that he wasn't interested in hearing from me. He'd wanted to move on with his life. My part in his story was over. But that didn't stop me from thinking about the past…

Somehow I found the other letters as the storm grew worse. Lightning flashed outside, and I shivered as I opened the first envelope.

_Dear Sodapop,_

_I'm sorry for what happened in Tulsa. I shouldn't have just shown up like I did, with the baby and everything. I just needed to come home for a visit. You have no idea how lonely things can be in Miami when you're a single mother living with your grandmother. Of course, you'll never have a problem like that. And I'm sorry for what happened before too. With my just leaving and returning your letters, I hope I didn't hurt you too badly. I've taken up your habit of calling the baby Daffy. I hope she won't mind when she gets older. You were always proud of your original name, so I can only count on her being the same way. Speaking of Daffy, she must be awake from her nap by now. Once again, I'm sorry, Soda. Love, Sandy_

This was the one Daphne had read, the one that caused her to run away from me to find him. Reading it now, I realized how much it did sound like he could be her father. No wonder she'd jumped to that conclusion. The second letter…

_Dear Sodapop, _

_It's amazing how much Daffy's eyes remind me of yours, Soda. Same brown, happy eyes, eager to see everything going on around you. It's hard to believe sometimes that she isn't yours. I wish things had been different, but I wouldn't give up my baby for anything. Would I go back and change what happened between us? I wish I hadn't hurt you the way I did. Sometimes I even wish I'd agreed to marry you after you found out about Daffy. But if I really think about it, I wouldn't not want my daughter in my life, no matter how she changed my future. Maybe I'm crazy. My mother would certainly think so. But then, she never approved of much that I did. _

_Soda, there's something I need to tell you, something I think you deserve to know…who Daphne's real father is. This is harder than anything I've ever had to do before, telling you his name. Especially since he's someone who, at least when I knew him, was close to you. Daphne's father is…_

**I am a mean, cruel writer, aren't I? You'll have to wait for an update to find out, and judging by how long this one took, that could be awhile. Lol, how I love to write cliff-hangers. What did you think? Who do you think the father is???**


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